Help with Birdhouses!

[Merlot]

My mother loves birdhouses and I would like to get her one for her birthday but have no idea what kind to get.

I have googled some but still would rather know if anyone here likes a certain type.

 

[4meandthem]

They kinda depend on what birds she has or wants to attract.

 

[Merlot]

She has never said she doesn't want to attract a specific kind. So really any that somewhere here enjoys should be fine. As for what type of birds she has.. I'm not quite the bird watcher so not sure!

 

[Dawgluver]

We have wrens in ours. I've built some out of barn board. A varnished gourd makes a nice bird house too. Bluebirds like unfinished wooden houses.

My grandparents had a "martin hotel" on top of a big pole. We don't get martins out here in the sticks, but if she lives in town, they are great for eating mosquitoes.

Check out your local garden centers, they might have something unique, and can give you advice on what kinds of birds the houses will attract.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

What part of the country does she live in, Merlot?

 

[Merlot]

She lives in Southern WV and I spoke to her this morning, she was talking about finches, cardinals, bluebirds and her favorite "a rose breasted grosbeak." She is having problems with the squirrels so I guess I need to find a squirrel proof one. I guess I'll venture out to Lowes and see what they have.

 

[Dawgluver]

Squirrelproof is probably only necessary in bird feeders. The openings in most birdhouses are too small for squirrels.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

She lives in Southern WV and I spoke to her this morning, she was talking about finches, cardinals, bluebirds and her favorite "a rose breasted grosbeak." She is having problems with the squirrels so I guess I need to find a squirrel proof one. I guess I'll venture out to Lowes and see what they have.

Birdhouses are often specific to your area and the birds you can find there. I know I wouldn't be looking for birdhouses for the crows that hang out around here.

 

[Dawgluver]

Check this out:http://www.birding.com/whichbirds.asp

Just a thought, hummingbird feeders come in all sorts of pretty styles. One of those might be a fun gift, along with some nectar mix.

 

[Merlot]

Squirrelproof is probably only necessary in bird feeders. The openings in most birdhouses are too small for squirrels.

I'm such a ding dong I originally meant to put birdfeeders.. why I put house.. who knows.

thanks for the info everyone, I may get her both

 

[Chef Munky]

Birdhouses are often specific to your area and the birds you can find there. I know I wouldn't be looking for birdhouses for the crows that hang out around here.

Boy your not kidding.

My neighbor has a huge water fountain that she keeps filled with birdseed and walnuts.
Her tree hugging hobby is driving me insane. It's attracted all kids of crows and pigeons. They really fight for the territory.

Every morning that Crow sits on my roof cracking walnuts. It sounds like someone is knocking at the door.
They broke our antenna they're so fat now. The dogs are getting a little freaked out when the crows dive bomb them. They've even tried to get me.

Munky.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I'm such a ding dong I originally meant to put birdfeeders.. why I put house.. who knows.

thanks for the info everyone, I may get her both

I do that all the time. Same thing with bird food, they will usually sell what the birds in your area are fond of.

I tried to put a humming bird feeder outside our front window, but since we are in a daylight basement, the feeder was too low and the outside cats made it impossible for them to feed. My inside cats also made it difficult. Apartment living is not conducive to bird watching.

 

[Dawgluver]

We only feed sunflower hearts and chips. Saves on the mess from sunflower hulls. The wild bird mix, we find, gets rejected and thrown out, making for some interesting weeds under the feeders.

Squirrelproof feeders are not raccoon proof! We have several trap-door styles, and the coons just pull the tops off and have at it.

 

[Addie]

You may want to contact the Audubon Society for additional information. BTW, just a useless piece of information I have been carrying around for years. Birds are attracted more to the color blue than any other color. And you will need a squirrel proof feeder. Those little critters can get to almost any feeder. You need a feeder that has a very short bar for the birds to stand on when feeding. Long enough for the birds, too short for the squirrels.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

I like the "tube" style feeders. Surprisingly the squirrels don't get at them, although I hang them on "shepherd's crooks that are quite tall and not under tree branches or next to a fence so it's harder to for them to reach. With this style, there are some that the seed containers are surrounded by squirrel proof material, although by the pictures, the openings look like a squirrel could get right through.

Google Bird Feed Tubes for mor info.

 

[4meandthem]

Birdfeeders are messy so I would consider putting it above concrete where it can be easily cleaned up after and not sprout a milion weeds below it. Hummingbird feeders are better over plants in case it drips you don't stain your concrete.

 

[Dawgluver]

I like the "tube" style feeders. Surprisingly the squirrels don't get at them, although I hang them on "shepherd's crooks that are quite tall and not under tree branches or next to a fence so it's harder to for them to reach. With this style, there are some that the seed containers are surrounded by squirrel proof material, although by the pictures, the openings look like a squirrel could get right through.

Google Bird Feed Tubes for mor info.

Heh. We used these, our squirrels and coons just chewed out the nice steel holes, and we had to replace them every year. Our wildlife around here are members of Mensa.

We embedded steel poles in concrete with river rock (DH takes his birdfeeding seriously) as the coons bent every single shepherd's crook to the ground.

 

[Merlot]

Well, looks like this bird feeding is some serious business

Thank you all for the replies! I will look at the tube feeders, I found a really pretty bluebird feeder but in my opinion it was kind of expensive and no reviews on it ^ I can probably get out to Lowes or the greenhouse on Wednesday (my day off) and find something.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Well, looks like this bird feeding is some serious business

Why yes, feeding the birds is serious business. I have not yet reached my doddering years where I find a sunny park bench to sit on and feed the pigeons. I have been known to feed the ducks and geese at the lake, so clearly, my pathway to perdition is clearly marked.

I have bird feeders within sight and distance of every window in my house. I am surrounded. Except for the several windows with bushes right outside the windows. Indoors, if there is not already furniture near a window for looking out, then I place a table, some with pillows on them. Hours of fun for my two girls watching the birds.

I keep the birdfeeders full in the winter too.

 

[Merlot]

Why yes, feeding the birds is serious business. I have not yet reached my doddering years where I find a sunny park bench to sit on and feed the pigeons. I have been known to feed the ducks and geese at the lake, so clearly, my pathway to perdition is clearly marked.

I used to put out hummingbird feeders and then my life sortive took me away. I didn't clean house much (I am normally OCD about it), do my garden, cook.. anything for a few years. That is a story for another time.